


Trick Shot

by Featherhead



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X, Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types
Genre: Language, M/M, Spider has a foul mouth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-07 09:16:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 10,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11055942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Featherhead/pseuds/Featherhead
Summary: A collection of Dynamo drabbles





	1. "If there's anything I've managed to do pretty well in my life, so far it's not die. So we're off to a good start on that one."

**Author's Note:**

> These drabbles are set in the same universe as Mercenary Sniper and Signs of an Officer, and aren't in any chronological order.
> 
> ((I would like to make a note that much of the characterization for Cedar has been borrowed from the characterizations and headcanons developed by [Socket](http://sockettoem.tumblr.com/). She's developed him into such a wonderful and rich character, you should check her stuff out. :D))

Dynamo was well-known for his habit of turning up where he was least expected...or wanted. If he wasn't hanging around the mercenary base harassing Cedar, he was at the apartment he shared with Gate. If he wasn't there, he was haunting the Irregular Hunter Headquarters, bugging the ever-living daylights out of X and Zero. And if he wasn't there, he was visiting his creator, either making a complete nuisance of himself, or being useful running errands. Occasionally he could be found wherever Vava was lurking about.  
  
But his most favorite place by far to be was Spider's place. Especially on lazy rainy days, the kind that encouraged naps or quiet contemplation.  
  
Such was the case today. Dynamo was sprawled on one section of the enormous L-shaped couch, feet propped on the coffee table, watching the rain through the windows. Spider was stretched out on the other section with his head on the armrest, hands with laced fingers resting on his stomach, his hat covering his eyes as he dozed. The only sound was the pattering of the rain from the open balcony doors.  
  
"If there's anything I've managed to do pretty well in my life so far, it's not die," Dynamo suddenly announced. "So we're off to a good start on that one."  
  
"Don't gimme that," Spider replied drowsily. "You've got plenty of other skills."  
  
"Yeah, all dedicated to keeping me alive."  
  
The bounty hunter grunted and lifted his hat enough to give the mercenary a sleepy one-eyed stare. "This isn't one of your melancholy moods, is it?"  
  
"Huh? No, I was just thinking."  
  
"Well, stop thinkin'." Spider closed his eye and lowered his hat again. "Go raid the fridge or the bar or somethin'."  
  
The mercenary chuckled. "At any other time, I'd take you up on that offer. Especially if it included that expensive shit you steal from X's stash."  
  
"So why don't you?"  
  
"I'm too lazy to get up."  
  
The bounty hunter snorted, and silence fell again.  
  
For all of ten seconds.  
  
"I'm bored."  
  
"Then go find somethin' to do."  
  
"But I'm comfortable!"  
  
"Then sit there and be bored."  
  
"But Spiiiiideeeeer..."  
  
"I ain't movin', so fuck off."  
  
Silence returned, and Spider grunted satisfaction, beginning to doze again.  
  
He startled a moment later when the couch dipped on either side of him, eyes opening as his hat was lifted to reveal Dynamo on hands and knees above him.  
  
The mercenary's mouth stretched into a sly grin. "I think I found something to do~"  
  
Spider blinked, then gave a lazy smirk. "I still ain't movin'."  
  
Dynamo snickered. "You don't have to. Save a horse, ride a cowboy, you know?" He grinned at Spider's laugh, before leaning down.  
  
Rainy days were good for other activities, too, after all~


	2. "A badly timed joke?"

"What the hell is _this_?"  
  
Dynamo looked up at Zero, blinked once, then looked at the colorful streamers and containers of glitter scattered around him.  
  
He looked at the blonde Hunter again and grinned. "A badly timed joke?" he offered.  
  
Zero's eyes narrowed. "And who is the intended target?"  
  
"...Lifesaver?"  
  
"...what was your plan?"  
  
The mercenary grinned, sensing a potential accomplice. "I was gonna rig this stuff to explode out of a couple of his storage cabinets."  
  
Zero smirked. "How long do you need?"  
  
"Ten minutes~"  
  
The blonde Hunter's smirk grew sharper, then he spun on his heel and vanished down the hall without a word.  
  
Several minutes later, Dynamo was ready, and apparently not a moment too soon.  
  
Axl ran screaming and flailing down the hall, an absolutely enraged Lifesaver hot on his heels and threatening all sorts of bodily harm.  
  
Zero reappeared a moment later with a smug smirk, accepting half the stuff and prowling after the mercenary to the medbay.  
  
With the blonde Hunter's help, it didn't take long for Dynamo to set things up. The conspirators were hard-pressed to keep quiet each time they heard Axl and Lifesaver pass the door, biting their lips to stifle snickers.  
  
Once they were done, they waited until they heard Axl and Lifesaver pass again, then they scurried from the medbay and scattered. Neither wanted to be anywhere nearby when the prank was sprung; the medic's wrath was legendary, after all.  
  
Dynamo snickered as he made his way to one of the few places where the Hunter Headquarters lacked teleport shields, immediately teleporting out. As much as he enjoyed harassing Zero, it was _so much fun_ to get up to mischief with the blonde Hunter.  
  
Of course, it was just as much fun to prank the blonde Hunter, and Dynamo wasn't fool enough to stick around for when Zero discovered the 'parting gift' Dynamo had left for him.  
  
In fact, it was probably about time to go see what Vava was up to. Dynamo was going to need to lay low for a while, and the Irregular was the perfect excuse to do so.


	3. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Uh...a little help?"  
  
X paused in his trek down the hall, blinked, then backed up to peer in the rec room. What he'd initially taken for some weird new Christmas decoration apparently was actually Dynamo tangled up in several strings of blinking lights.  
  
"How in the world did you manage that?" the Hunter asked, walking into the room.  
  
The mercenary grinned sheepishly. "I was trying to untangle the lights so I could put them up and surprise everyone. Apparently it takes more hands than I have to accomplish that."  
  
X sighed softly and shook his head, before bending to try helping the taller Reploid get untangled. "Why is it every time you come here, something weird happens?"  
  
"I'm made of weird~"  
  
"Besides that." X paused as he realized something, blinked, then peered at the lights. "Wait...they're not plugged in? How are they lighting up?!"  
  
The mercenary got a shifty look. "...my secret. Don't ask."  
  
"...If it's anything perverted-"  
  
" _It's not perverted!_ Not even I'm that fucked up!"  
  
"Thank god."  
  
It was nearly an hour later when Zero came looking for X. He stopped in the rec room's doorway, raising an eyebrow, hands on his hips. "Why am I not surprised?"  
  
X just looked horribly embarrassed where he was tangled up with a snickering Dynamo in the lights.  
  
"...just get us free, dammit."


	4. "We've been waiting two hours."

"We've been waiting two hours," growled the Reploid beside Dynamo. "When the hell is he showing up? It's fucking freezing out here."  
  
Dynamo smiled tolerantly. "He'll be here, sempai. Don't get your iron panties in a bunch." He yelped at a solid smack upside the back of his head.  
  
"I do _not_ wear iron panties...anymore."  
  
Dynamo snickered, rubbing the back of his head. "That you admit to even wearing any in the first place..."  
  
"Shut up, brat."  
  
The mercenary chuckled, then perked up. "Oh, there he is!"  
  
"About damn time."  
  
Both Reploids hunkered down and watched their target approach, waiting until he reached...the...perfect... _spot_...  
  
" _Now!_ " the mercenary hissed.  
  
Dynamo's companion hit the trigger, launching the payload.  
  
Down below their perch, their target howled as he was buried under a pile of snow.  
  
Both Reploids cackled and high-fived each other, until their heads jerked toward the sound of a furious roar below.  
  
 _ **"Dynamo, I will fucking END you! And I'll kill you again when I get my hands on you, Buckethead!"**_  
  
"Shit!"  
  
"RUN!"  
  
Snow sprayed wildly as Dynamo and Vava fled from the furious Zero pelting after them.


	5. "Hey...what's wrong with your face?"

Dynamo whistled tunelessly as he made his way through the living quarters of his creator's lab to raid the fridge. He paused when he saw Spider at the dining table, blinking and tilting his head. Then he wandered over to flump down across from the bounty hunter.  
  
"Hey...what's wrong with your face?" the mercenary asked, reaching out to poke the younger Reploid's cheek, which was looking rather bruised, along with one of his eyes.  
  
Spider hissed and jerked away. "I got mauled by Marino," he grunted.  
  
Dynamo blinked again. "How'd she get close enough to get hold of you?"  
  
"I was too close to get a good head start before she attacked."  
  
"And why did she attack? What did you do this time?"  
  
Spider's mouth curved in a smirk, lopsided due to his bruises. "I gave her a pair of squeaky shoes."  
  
Dynamo blinked and stared at the bounty hunter for a moment, before cracking up. "You deserve what you got!"  
  
Spider snorted, waiting for the mercenary to calm down before speaking again. "I figured why not? She already sounds like a fuckin' dog toy when she runs around in armor."  
  
Dynamo snorted a laugh, rocking back in his chair with his arms around his stomach, head thrown back as he cackled.  
  
" _Spider!_ "  
  
Chairs crashed to the floor as both Reploids bolted instinctively at the shout from the other room.  
  
"What the hell did you do to piss off Roll, too?!"  
  
"Hey, I didn't do nothin' to Roll!"  
  
"Then why's she pissed at you?!"  
  
"I dun- oh _fuck_ , it's gotta be Marino's fault!"  
  
Dynamo nearly tripped over his own feet as he snort-cackled. "You're gonna be paying for that until you kiss up to her!"  
  
Spider's cursing was almost drowned out by Dynamo's laughter.


	6. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"So," Gate began, not looking up from the nearly microscopic connections he was soldering. "Apparently your file in the Hunters' records is sealed. Only the Hunter High Commander has the clearance to gain access to it. Care to enlighten me as to why, or is that classified?"  
  
Dynamo hummed absently as he leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head and feet propped up on a table, a pencil balanced on his nose. "Can I tell you a secret?"  
  
The scientist paused at the mercenary's uncharacteristic seriousness, looking up at him. After a moment, he set his tools aside and took a seat. "Of course."  
  
The mercenary was silent for a moment, gazing up at the ceiling, before speaking quietly. "I was a Hunter once. Ranked SA Class, in the 2nd Unit."  
  
Gate blinked. "But...there is no 2nd Unit."  
  
"Not _now_ , no. It was disbanded and everyone but me scrapped due to 'supposed Irregular activities.'"  
  
"...how did you escape?"  
  
Dynamo shrugged. "I've always been incurably nosy. Get it from my old man. I got wind of what was going to happen before it did, so I cut and run. The others didn't listen when I warned them."  
  
The scientist studied the taller Reploid. "What were the 'supposed Irregular activities'? Or was that the typical vague blanket excuse?"  
  
The mercenary smirked. "Yes and no. It's illegal for Reploids to fight humans. Even in a controlled setting like an exhibition match. Some of us ignored that and participated in an underground exhibition ring." His smirk twisted into a bitter, mirthless thing. "Someone ratted us out."  
  
Gate nodded slowly, not needing any further explanation. He could sympathize far too well. "I assume that was part of the reason for Eurasia?"  
  
"Doc Cain gave the order that condemned us. I didn't get the chance to get him before he died, but when Sigma gave me the opportunity to destroy the world Doc Cain created...I jumped on it."  
  
"I don't blame you. Have you told anyone else this?"  
  
"Sig knows. And Spider knows, because I told him about it to warn him off ever wanting to join the Hunters."  
  
"I see. Well, I'm honored you told me."  
  
"Why not? You've been screwed over by the powers that be, too, so you understand."  
  
Gate smiled wryly. "Just a couple of misunderstood revolutionaries, hm?"  
  
"Misunderstood _hungry_ revolutionaries. I want donuts."  
  
The scientist chuckled and stood. "Let's go get some then. My treat."  
  
"Really? Woohoo! You're awesome, for a nerd!" Dynamo bounced to his feet and bounded out of the room, Gate following with a laugh.


	7. "You fainted...straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention you didn't have to go to such extremes."

Cedar groaned faintly and opened his eyes, blinking dazedly at an unfamiliar ceiling. His mouth twisted into a small frown as he tried to remember what happened, but came up blank. Shifting into a sitting position, he looked around, puzzled to find himself in a bedroom he didn't recognize.  
  
He was on a bed more than long enough for his tall frame. A night stand stood by the bed, a low dresser stood against one wall, a shelf taking up the remaining space by the dresser. Various odd knickknacks were scattered on nearly every available surface, along with various bits and bobs of machinery parts and tools.  
  
Hearing muffled voices outside, the sniper got up to move to the door, footsteps silent, and he listened intently. He couldn't hear what was being said, but one of the voices was...Dynamo?  
  
What in the world...?  
  
Somewhat reassured it was safe, he opened the door enough to peer out, and blinked, bewildered.  
  
This was...an apartment. A small one, to be sure, but undeniably an apartment. He could see another bedroom to his left, a short hall leading to a bathroom to his right, and almost directly ahead was the living room. And in the living room, seated on a bunk bed-futon cross was Dynamo, talking animatedly with another Reploid while a television blared in the background.  
  
Something was vaguely familiar about that other Reploid, but Cedar couldn't put his finger on why.  
  
Abruptly Dynamo glanced over and grinned when he saw Cedar. "Oh, hey! You're awake! Come in and have a seat! You want some cookies? I promise Gate hasn't done anything to them~"  
  
"Hey!" the other Reploid protested, giving the mercenary a mock-glare.  
  
Cedar blinked, slowly exiting the bedroom and heading over to sink into a chair. "Gate?" he repeated. "As in the scientist responsible for the Sixth Uprising?"  
  
"I was temporarily insane!" the scientist retorted with a huff, crossing his arms.  
  
"Temporarily?" Dynamo gave the Reploid beside him a skeptical look. "Styrofoamzilla attacking Tokyo last week doesn't support that 'temporarily' bit!"  
  
"I...w-well... _you_ were the one who released it in Tokyo!"  
  
A cackle. "Did you see the looks on the humans' faces when they saw it? _Priceless_ ~"  
  
Cedar watched the bantering, frowning slightly. "Is this Gate's apartment then?" he interrupted.  
  
Dynamo grinned at the sniper. "No, this is my apartment. Gate just mooches to avoid the Hunters."  
  
"I do _not_ mooch!"  
  
Cedar blinked. " _You_ have an apartment? Why do you keep quarters at the base then?"  
  
"Because then I wouldn't get to hang out with _you_ , Ced~"  
  
"...dare I ask how I got here? The last I remember is barely escaping a Hunter squad."  
  
"You fainted...straight into my arms." Dynamo leered playfully at the sniper. "You know, if you wanted my attention you didn't have to go to such extremes~"  
  
Gate snerked as Cedar blushed and sputtered. "My goodness. He saves his best lines for you? I'm almost jealous."  
  
" _Jealous_?! I- he- **_what_**?!"  
  
Dynamo snorted a cackle and smacked the scientist's shoulder. "Hey, now, don't break his brain! He needs that!"  
  
"What, unlike you?"  
  
"HEY!"  
  
Cedar stared at the pair with a growing sense of dread. Dear god, it was like there were two of Dynamo. He really needed to get out of here before he lost his mind, or acquired a permanent blush.  
  
He glanced at the plate of cookies on the low table nearby.  
  
...maybe after he had a cookie or two. They were marzipan macaroons, after all.


	8. "The heat was unbearable."

_The heat was unbearable._  
  
_He stumbled along in a more or less straight line, though the task was made all the more difficult due to the shifting sands beneath his feet. The intense sun beating down on him didn't help the matter at all, particularly with his dark armor in its scuffed and battered condition._  
  
_He paused a moment on a low dune, wavering on his feet, and slowly turned, squinting against the harsh sunlight. But all that met his gaze was sand and even more sand, the only sign of life being his footprints trailing back the way he'd come._  
  
_No, wait. What was that over there?_  
  
_He leaned forward, squinting to try getting a better look at the dark blotch of color moving about against the pale sand in the distance._  
  
_Was that...a person?_  
  
_He started toward the dark blotch, nearly tumbling down the side of the dune, his heat-addled mind telling him a person could only mean help._  
  
_It seemed to take ages before he was close enough to see it was indeed a person, another Reploid. Oddly familiar, though he couldn't recall why._  
  
_The other Reploid was halfway down a hole, sand flying out around them in a haphazard shower. And the muffled cheerful monologue about treasure assured him the other Reploid wasn't a mirage or hallucination._  
  
_Unfortunately, he only made it a few more steps before he stumbled in the sand, falling flat on his face, overstressed and overheated systems sending him into emergency shutdown._  
  
Hearing the thump nearby, Dynamo popped out of the hole like a gopher, blinking when he saw the unconscious Reploid only a few yards away from him. He hefted himself up out of the hole, ambling over to poke the other Reploid a few times, but he was well and truly unconscious. He looked like he'd been wandering the desert for a week straight, and he certainly smelled like it; Dynamo's nose wrinkled at the scent of burned coolant wafting up from the prone frame.  
  
The mercenary glanced back at his hole, reluctant to leave the treasure he'd found. But...he recognized this Reploid, and he was a far more valuable prize than the chintz he'd been digging up.  
  
Making up his mind- and ignoring the part of him that sounded suspiciously like his conscience cheering- Dynamo hefted the other Reploid up, slinging him over his shoulder, and teleported back to his apartment. Upon arrival, he kicked the side of the futon bunk bed, the futon falling flat with a clang, and he dumped his unconscious cargo before hunting through the apartment for some energy cans.  
  
He managed to find a few full ones left, and returned to sit on the side of the futon. He hooked one arm under the unconscious Reploid and lifted him to a sitting position, pressing the cans to the lax lips, grimacing at the starved way the other Reploid's systems absorbed the energy.  
  
When that didn't wake the other Reploid, the mercenary huffed and, feeling how hot the other Reploid still was, he picked him up and headed to the bathroom. He dumped the other Reploid in the tub, then turned the shower on full-blast- cold, of course- and waited.  
  
Even then, it was a few minutes before the other Reploid responded, bolting upright with a shriek.  
  
Dynamo grinned. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Gate. Since you're in there, you can take a shower. You reek."  
  
He left the scientist staring after him while he went to scrounge up some food and some more energy cans. And some tools so he could repair Gate's armor.  
  
_Gate waited until the mercenary was out the door before attempting to stand, joints stiff and reluctant to respond, making him occasionally squeeze his eyes shut in an agonized wince. He attempted to send his armor away, only to swiftly realize he couldn't. Lovely, his systems were probably fucked up. Sighing softly, he ended up just stripping, removing armor and bodysuit._  
  
_Unfortunately, as he bent over to pull his bodysuit off, he lost his balance and tipped forward, head slamming into the wall hard enough to make him see stars. He rebounded off the wall, feet slipping out from beneath him, sending him crashing on his arse, head slamming back with a painful crack and leaving him dazed._  
  
Dynamo heard the sound and sighed, muttering, "Damn, does this mean I have to hold his hand everywhere?" He made his way back to the bathroom, peering through the door at his impromptu guest. "You okay?"  
  
The scientist didn't answer, rubbing the back of his head, one eye shut in a wince, mouth forming silent curses.  
  
Dynamo raised an eyebrow. "Need some help?"  
  
That probably would have been a 'fuck off' if Gate's voice was working. But Dynamo had gotten into the habit of ignoring such things, so he walked in and hauled the scientist to his feet, stepping into the shower with him.  
  
"We'll clean you off, then see about repairs if you need 'em. And you most likely do."  
  
Gate responded by trying to shove at him, but it was more like a weak poke in his condition.  
  
"Now, now. You can barely stand on your own, let alone do anything else."  
  
Since the other Reploid's overheated frame had cooled significantly by now, Dynamo reached to turn the warm water on, waiting until the temperature was at a more comfortable level. Then he reached for a washcloth and proceeded to bathe Gate, despite any protests, silent or otherwise. Not that that stopped the scientist, as he tried to flail, though it wasn't exactly working.  
  
Ignoring the scientist's antics, Dynamo worked gently and carefully, especially around each wound he discovered, making a note of each one. Most weren't too serious, but he frowned at a particularly deep one running across Gate's left thigh. He'd have to break out the heavy-duty repair kit for that one; there was no way Gate's self-repair could handle it without help.  
  
By now the scientist was glaring weakly at him, having finally given up on flailing.  
  
"Don't give me that look," the mercenary said cheerfully as he finished cleaning him off. "My intentions are pure, I assure you~"  
  
Gate didn't appear to be buying it, but Dynamo ignored his continued glaring, reaching out to turn the water off. He grabbed a towel and started drying the other Reploid off, grinning when Gate attempted to protest that he could do it himself, and, of course, failed at protesting.  
  
"Oh, hush." The mercenary grabbed a robe and wrapped it around the scientist, helping him from the tub. " Can you walk on your own?"  
  
Apparently he'd had his pride stung long enough, because Gate pulled away and attempted to take a step...only to end up flat on his face.  
  
"...right." Dynamo bent to gather up the other Reploid, carrying him back to the futon and settling him on it. "Stay here while I get my big repair kit. I _will_ tie you down if I have to."  
  
_Gate huffed and rolled onto his side with a wince as Dynamo headed off. He was tempted to drag the blankets over his head, but his frame still ached too much after his repeated falls for him to attempt it. Not to mention his head felt like one giant bruise on top of his injuries._  
  
_He glanced over when Dynamo returned, eyeing the mercenary. He was somewhat mollified when he saw the professional-grade repair kit the mercenary thumped on the low table nearby, but he didn't let it show. Nor did he let on how impressed he was with the level of medical skill the mercenary displayed, expertly applying a synth-skin patch over the deep wound so it wouldn't come loose or scar. He couldn't help relaxing as the mercenary spread nanite solution over the smaller injuries, the fluid stinging briefly on contact before soothing warmth spread as the healing nanites went to work._  
  
_He hadn't been aware of his eyes closing, until they opened at the sound of Dynamo moving._  
  
_The mercenary didn't say anything further, only tossed the blankets over Gate before heading off in the direction of the bathroom, probably to retrieve Gate's armor. He flicked a switch along the way, plunging the room into darkness, the only light coming from the bathroom and one of the half-open doors the scientist assumed was a bedroom._  
  
_Gate watched him go, eyelids slowly sinking closed as his frame relaxed further. He was out of that blasted desert, and so far Dynamo hadn't actually_ tried _anything. Only grumbled and teased while offering hospitality, without asking anything in return._  
  
_Gate was no fool, however. He knew Dynamo was a mercenary, so he was sure some idea of future reward likely motivated his kindness. But he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment, too exhausted and systems still too overstressed._  
  
_He sighed softly as he allowed his systems to cycle down into recharge, feeling oddly safe knowing the other Reploid was nearby._


	9. "When crazy people have power, you've got to indulge them."

Dynamo was ensconced in a corner booth of his favorite bar, leaned back with one foot propped on the opposite knee, idly tapping his fingers on the back of the seat in time with the music. Normally he'd be abusing the ancient arcade games in the game room, but his favorite band was playing live, so he was content to sit and listen, sipping at a beer.  
  
He wasn't expecting company; however, he wasn't surprised when Zero seemed to appear from nowhere to drop into the seat across from him.  
  
He ignored the blonde Hunter's hard stare, waiting with calm patience for him to speak.  
  
"You've got a lot of brass, showing your face anywhere after what you've done," Zero finally growled.  
  
The mercenary smirked and waved a finger chidingly. "Ah-ah. This is neutral territory, Mr. Zero~ You've got no more right to do anything to me here, than I've got to do anything to you." He grinned at the Hunter's huff, taking a long drink of his beer, knowing he'd called his bluff.  
  
Zero glared at him for several moments, before demanding, "Why'd you do it?"  
  
Dynamo knew all too well what 'it' the Hunter was referring to. He took another long drink, considering how he wanted to answer that. Whether to put Zero off with a joke and try to goad him into starting something...or not.  
  
Of course, with the way Zero was waiting so quietly and intently, Dynamo decided to oblige him.  
  
"When crazy people have power, you've got to indulge them."  
  
The Hunter blinked and frowned, but Dynamo continued before he could speak.  
  
"And he gave me an offer I couldn't refuse- the chance for revenge against the old bastard who labeled an innocent Unit as Irregular. To destroy the world the old bastard had created, and let something new, and hopefully better, grow back in its place."  
  
Zero's eyes narrowed. "Unit? You mean a Hunter Unit? What do you care about Hunters?"  
  
One corner of the mercenary's mouth quirked up in a wry, mirthless smile. "They were my men."  
  
Zero stared, blinking once slowly. Then he sat back, eyeing the mercenary calculatingly.  
  
Dynamo knew the Hunter believed him; Dynamo had never once lied to X or Zero in all their encounters. Joked and teased and irritated them to distraction, sure, but never actually _lied_.  
  
And he knew Zero wasn't going to raise a fuss about it, not after the Repliforce fiasco and Zero's own part in it.  
  
"It was the 2nd Unit, wasn't it?" the Hunter asked, voice low. "The Phantom Blades."  
  
Dynamo nodded and raised his glass in a silent toast, then drained his glass in one long swallow.  
  
Zero grunted and stood. "That doesn't excuse the deaths you've caused...but I don't blame you." Then he bared his fangs in a sharp smirk. "Just try not to cause that much trouble again, or you won't be able to run far enough away to escape me next time."  
  
Dynamo bared his own fangs- not so prominent as Zero's, perhaps, but still enough to match the threat- in a sharp grin. "No promises~"  
  
The blonde Hunter snorted at the display and turned to leave.


	10. "You know, I would help, but making fun of you is so much more satisfying."

Cedar pressed his knuckles to his mouth in a futile attempt to stifle his laughter, eyes dancing. "I knew you liked to _hang around_ , Dynamo, but isn't this taking it a bit far?"  
  
The other mercenary swore and thrashed, which only had the effect of making the net he was tangled up in swing back and forth.  
  
Cedar snerked. "What, you don't want to, ah... _hang out_?"  
  
"Stop it with the puns and get me the hell down!" Dynamo burst out, kicking in frustration, which made him spin around.  
  
The sniper giggled before he could stop himself. It wasn't often that he had the upper hand on the other mercenary. "You know, I _would_ help, but making fun of you is _so_ much more satisfying~" He grinned at Dynamo's cursing, watching the net bounce and sway with the other mercenary's struggles. "How on earth did you get stuck in there in the first place? I wasn't aware of any traps in the area."  
  
Dynamo fell suspiciously silent at that.  
  
"...you got caught in your own trap!" Cedar staggered back against a nearby tree, clutching his stomach as he fairly howled with laughter.  
  
" _It's not funny, dammit!_ "  
  
"You're right," the sniper chortled. "It's _hilarious_ ~"  
  
Dynamo's cursing reached whole new levels of frustration, making Cedar laugh all the harder.  
  
It wasn't until the taller Reploid subsided into sulky pouting nearly two hours later that the sniper deigned to help him down, still snickering.


	11. "Of course we're best friends. No one else would put up with our shenanigans."

It was quiet for once in the mercenary base's common room, largely due to the fact there were only two Reploids inside. The fact that one of those Reploids was Dynamo was what made it so extraordinary.  
  
And the fact he wasn't teasing or harassing the other Reploid- Cedar- like he usually did, made it almost miraculous.  
  
Cedar was seated on one end of a couch, meticulously cleaning and examining the parts of his sniper rifle. On the other end, Dynamo was tinkering with the settings of his beam saber. Both seemed content enough to work in the silence, intent on their individual tasks.  
  
Until Cedar broke the silence with an observation. "I've noticed you seem to prefer my company over the others. And you frequently refer to me as your friend."  
  
"Yup," the taller Reploid grunted, not looking up from the delicate inner workings of his weapon.  
  
"Your _best_ friend."  
  
One corner of Dynamo's mouth quirked briefly, but he didn't answer.  
  
Cedar glanced away from his task to look at the taller Reploid. "...are we?"  
  
Finally Dynamo turned away from his own task to give the sniper a grin of a sort Cedar had never seen from him before. "Of course we're best friends! No one else would put up with our shenanigans~"  
  
Cedar's mouth twitched faintly in amusement as he recalled some of their more ridiculous adventures. Most had been Dynamo's doing, but the sniper had instigated more than a few of them himself. Cedar really couldn't muster up any sort of guilt- or embarrassment- over any of it.  
  
Chuckling faintly to himself, he shook his head and turned his gaze back to his weapon's maintenance. "I still wonder what on earth it was about me that caused you to approach me in the first place. I was hardly the most impressive Reploid at the time, and I'm sure I didn't stand out much."  
  
"It was your eyes~"  
  
Cedar looked up and blinked. "My eyes?"  
  
"Yeah. They weren't the eyes of a slave."  
  
Cedar blinked again as he mulled over that. Then he shrugged acceptance of the observation, and the simple truth of it.


	12. "Well done! Consciousness to sarcasm in five seconds!"

Vava groaned faintly as his systems cycled online. Then he groaned again when he saw a grinning Dynamo leaning over him.  
  
"Just fucking great. I've died and gone to Hell, and _you're_ in charge."  
  
Dynamo laughed. "Well done! Consciousness to sarcasm in five seconds!"  
  
The Irregular snorted, shoving the mercenary away so he could sit up. "What happened? Where's the kid?"  
  
Dynamo snickered and sat back against the side of the futon bunk bed. "The kid's fine. After you saved him from that leonoid Irregular, Red jumped you. Apparently he thought he was saving the kid from _you_."  
  
Vava snorted irritably. "Wonderful. What's the damn cockroach say about it?"  
  
The mercenary grinned. "Blues says to leave Axl where he is for now. It's not ideal, but the kid'll do well enough there. No contact."  
  
"Why am I not surprised he's so quick to abandon his family?"  
  
Dynamo rolled his eyes with a tolerant smile. "Man, you're still bitter about that, sempai? That wasn't his fault, you know."  
  
"The hell it wasn't! He left me to die at the hands of Wily's monster while he ran off, _as usual_."  
  
Dynamo's smile tightened, but he didn't push the subject, not wanting to push the Irregular into one of his rages right now. He really wasn't in the mood to move to a new apartment when Vava's rage reached the inevitable 'cause as much property damage as possible' stage. "I think I've got some spare energy cans laying around somewhere. Unless you'd rather eat something."  
  
Vava glanced at him, frowning beneath his helmet. "...ice cream?"  
  
The mercenary's smile stretched into a grin. "Sure. I stocked up on some pints of Chunky Monkey the other day."  
  
The Irregular straightened up, suitably distracted from his ire and in a significantly better mood. "Get me two of 'em."  
  
"As you command, sempai~" Dynamo laughed and got up, wandering into the kitchen to grab the ice cream.


	13. "What? I meant it as a compliment."

Dynamo whistled tunelessly as he ambled down the sidewalk, gaze darting around to take everything in as he slowly worked his way through a box of donuts.  
  
There was a new curio shop on the corner, the elderly shopkeeper out front feeding a mixed flock of pigeons and camera-birds. The mercenary marked her as the lonely type to welcome company willing to listen to stories about the 'old days', likely with fresh-baked goods. Maybe he'd start dropping in on her~  
  
There was old grumpy Mr. Snyder's book store, Mr. Snyder himself glaring through the window at Dynamo as the mercenary passed by. Dynamo grinned cheekily at the fat bastard, waving a greeting, and the glare turned thunderous. Ah, how he enjoyed pissing off the Reploid-haters when they couldn't do anything to retaliate~  
  
Ooh, there was a new donut shop coming soon, too! Dynamo made a note to stop in on its grand opening. He could usually score a box or two of free donuts, if he played things right.  
  
Oh, hey, Baxter's business firm had a new wind-up dolly guarding the parking garage! And he looked bored out of his skull already~  
  
Dynamo chuckled, taking the last two donuts in hand while tossing the box in a trashcan while he passed. Munching thoughtfully on one of the donuts, he eyed the new Reploid, arrested by something about him.  
  
It was the Reploid's eyes. Not just the fact they were a shade of yellow-gold, an unusual color for the more human-type Reploids. It was the look in them.  
  
Most 'roids in the service industries tended to be bright and alert, cheerful to the point of obnoxiousness, with a blind faith in humans that made Dynamo's fingers itch for a weapon.  
  
This one, however...he looked like he needed some _entertainment_ ~  
  
Grinning, Dynamo sauntered over to the security booth. "Morning, Jeeves!"  
  
The Reploid blinked and looked up at him, frowning. "...my name is Cedar, not Jeeves."  
  
The mercenary chuckled and leaned on the counter, munching on his last donut. "That a fact. Well, you look more like a Jeeves to me~"  
  
The Reploid's frown deepened, eyes flicking down to the crumbs dropping on the counter, before returning to Dynamo's gaze. "Can I help you in some way?" he asked, tone icy.  
  
Dynamo's grin widened at the tone. "You looked bored. And me, being the nice guy that I am, came over here to relieve your boredom~"  
  
"I assure you, I don't need you to relieve my boredom."  
  
"Uh-huh. Your first day, isn't it?"  
  
The Reploid's frown turned wary. "...yes," he admitted slowly.  
  
"Believe me when I tell ya it only gets worse, Jeeves~"  
  
" _Lovely_."  
  
The mercenary grinned at the sarcasm, delighted to see the Reploid had at least a little spunk. "Hey, you know you got some creepy-ass eyes?"  
  
The Reploid frowned at him.  
  
"What? I meant it as a compliment."  
  
"How is _that_ a compliment?"  
  
Dynamo turned his head, catching the sound of security approaching from one of the upper levels of the garage. Straightening up, he called a book from data storage- an actual, real book, rather than the electronic readers everyone used these days- and he tossed it on the counter so it slid across to stop in front of the blinking Reploid. "Here. George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. You might find it an interesting read."  
  
As he turned to leave, he grinned to himself when he saw the Reploid picking up the book.  
  
He'd definitely be coming back this way. This had the potential to develop into something _very_ interesting~


	14. "Sir, we're surrounded." "Excellent, we can attack from any direction!"

The Hunter squad bunched closer together, backs toward each other, weapons held ready as they faced the Irregulars that ringed them in. None spoke, taking in the menacing grins of the Irregulars, the Reploids confident they had the Hunters beat.  
  
"Sir, we're surrounded," one of the Hunters muttered to their Commander beside him.  
  
The Commander looked around at the Irregulars, grinning as he spun his double beam saber. "Excellent, we can attack from any direction!"  
  
The Hunters turned their heads to stare at their Commander, despite being used to his quirks.  
  
Finally the Hunter who'd spoken shook his head with a grin, before looking at the others. "Come on, you heard Dynamo! Let's go!"  
  
Following their Commander's lead, they burst from their tight bunch like an exploding firework, charging into the crowd of Irregulars with assorted whoops and war cries, each grinning to match Dynamo's manic fang-filled one.


	15. "Running away isn't nearly as easy as they say."

Running away wasn't nearly as easy as they say.  
  
Oh, you could run away from battles, run away from bad situations, even run away from death itself.  
  
But you couldn't run away from memories.  
  
You couldn't run away from guilt.  
  
Dynamo sat on his bed in his quarters, watching as his thumb ran over the scratched surface of the badge he held. He tilted it, watching the dim light of the lamp play over the blue enamel, the gold and silver ranking bars.  
  
He remembered how proud he'd been when he'd received the badge on his promotion to Commander. How his Unit had cheered and congratulated him. He remembered how Doctor Cain had yelled at them afterward, with much waving of his cane, for the rec room they'd destroyed during their celebratory party, none of them feeling the least bit of guilt.  
  
He thought of his men- Raven and Edge, twin brothers who'd been whirlwinds with beam katals. Tallus, an avian Reploid who'd specialized in chakrams. Paul Banks, who they'd jokingly called their 'token human.' Crystal, who'd played up the 'femme fatale' stereotype to the hilt. Beta, a master of all things polearm. And Duske, lethal with a battleaxe, and Dynamo's second.  
  
Of course, thoughts of his Unit always led to thoughts of when everything fell apart. The underground exhibition matches. The humans they let test their skills against trained Hunters. Someone- Dynamo had never found out who- tipping Doctor Cain off. Doctor Cain branding the Unit Irregulars and slating the Reploids for destruction.  
  
Dynamo remembered well how stunned he'd been when he'd gotten wind of the order. How betrayed he'd felt, by a human he'd trusted.  
  
And he remembered the rage, that it was so easy for humans to slap a death sentence on Reploids, without giving the Reploid a chance to defend himself.  
  
He'd tried to warn his Unit about the order. Tried to save them.  
  
But he'd been helpless to do anything, and in the end, he'd had to run away without them.  
  
The guilt had eaten at him for over a decade, as had the rage at the injustice.  
  
He'd gotten good at running away.  
  
And at cultivating the desire for revenge.  
  
He'd been _furious_ when he learned Doctor Cain had died before he could get back at the old bastard.  
  
Which left him ripe for that job offer from Sigma, that had resulted in the world nearly ending.  
  
Oh, Dynamo didn't feel guilty about _that_. He was actually quite proud of it, and the new world he'd helped pave the way for.  
  
No, any guilt he felt about the Eurasia disaster was for one single human, the only one he'd still trusted with his life.  
  
Paul had been at his trial, when the dust had finally settled. An old man by then, and Dynamo almost hadn't recognized him.  
  
He hadn't said a word to Dynamo through the whole thing, staying only long enough to hear the verdict, the charges having been dropped due to Dynamo's assistance in the disaster's aftermath and the reputation of Dynamo's creator.  
  
Dynamo's last glimpse of Paul had been the old human hobbling out of the courtroom, unnoticed by anyone else in the wake of the chaos following the verdict.  
  
When Dynamo had learned Paul died three weeks later, of course he'd gone to the funeral. He'd even dug out his old Hunter uniform, to give his former subordinate a proper send-off.  
  
And he'd promptly burned the uniform once he'd gotten back, running away yet again, from that phase of his life.  
  
Dynamo stared at his badge, the only reminder he had left of that life, of the Unit he'd failed. Then he dumped it in the drawer of his night stand and laid down, wrapping his arms around himself as he stared into the darkness.  
  
Running away wasn't nearly as easy as they say.  
  
But to stop running was even harder.


	16. "I never said goodbye because I never had any intentions of leaving."

Dynamo slipped through the living area of his creator's lab, navigating through the darkness with the silence of a shadow. Reaching his destination, he stopped in the doorway, expression carefully neutral as he observed the Reploid laying there, the familiar scarred face lax with sleep.  
  
Unbidden memories rose up, of the moment he'd heard the other Reploid was dead. Numb shock first, an instant denial sending a lance of ice through his internals. Spider couldn't be dead, he was too cautious, too careful, too _smart_ to die at all, let alone the way reports said he had.  
  
Dismay had set in then, stoked into a consuming fire by the memories of the Reploids Dynamo had lost, had _failed_. Spider was his youngest brother, dammit, Dynamo was supposed to keep him from doing something stupid like throwing his life away!  
  
The fire had been banked by the time he'd heard Blues had managed to rebuild and revive Spider, settling into a slow burn, and he narrowed his eyes as he watched the younger Reploid stir, as if sensing Dynamo's gaze on him.  
  
Red eyes opened slowly, still hazy with the effects of low synchro, peering through the darkness until they focused on the mercenary. "D?" Spider murmured, voice thick with sleep.  
  
"Fuck you, Spider."  
  
The bounty hunter sighed softly, eyes closing again. "I had to do it, D."  
  
"Bullshit." Dynamo stalked over to drop heavily on the bed beside Spider, fisting a hand in the bounty hunter's shirt and yanking him close. "You could have found another way!"  
  
Spider opened his eyes to meet the mercenary's gaze, hands coming up to grip Dynamo's. "There _was_ no other way," he replied quietly. "Not without-"  
  
"You could have-!"  
  
"I _couldn't_ , D. I wasn't gonna run away."  
  
And just like that, Dynamo's anger was snuffed out, the mercenary blinking once, grip softening.  
  
Eventually Dynamo averted his gaze. "...you didn't even say goodbye, you bastard," he muttered.  
  
"I never said goodbye because I never had any intentions of leavin'." The bounty hunter sighed softly and sagged forward, forehead dropping to rest on Dynamo's shoulder. "It was our brother, D. Our uncles. Our _family_. Would you have done any different in my place?"  
  
The mercenary was silent, gaze distant.  
  
Finally his arms came up, wrapping around the younger Reploid in a tight hug.  
  
"No," he whispered. "No, I wouldn't have."


	17. "Stay quiet!"

"Dude, _this_ is where you live?"  
  
Dynamo jumped at the unexpected voice, whirling to face the source, and gaped at the sight of _Axl_ in his quarters at the mercenary base. "You- how- _what are you doing here?!_ "  
  
The young Hunter grinned sheepishly, holding his hands out in a helpless shrug. "Lifesaver gave me these coordinates and said I  
should come here?"  
  
Dynamo clapped a hand over his face with a groan. "I'm gonna kill the bastard, if the old man doesn't beat me to it..."  
  
Axl blinked at him, tilting his head."Old man?" he repeated, then jumped and looked toward the door at an exasperated shout from the hall.  
  
 _"Dynamo!"_  
  
"Shit!" The mercenary lunged forward, grabbing Axl's arm, and shoved him down under the bed. "Get under there and _stay quiet_!"  
  
The Hunter was barely out of sight before the door opened, permitting a fuming Cedar entrance.  
  
" _Where_ is my tool kit?!" the sniper demanded sharply.  
  
Dynamo grinned nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "The, uh...the one with the micro-tools?"  
  
Cedar's eyes narrowed. "Yes, _that_ one. What have you done with it?!"  
  
"Er..." Dynamo thought quickly. "I may have, uh...loaned it to Dervish after I was done with it?"  
  
The sniper hissed an imprecation about Dynamo and whirled on his heel to stalk out.  
  
Dynamo didn't relax until Cedar's footsteps faded, then he dropped on the bed with a gusty sigh. That had been close. Then he leaned over to peer under the bed.  
  
Axl stared back with wide eyes. "Was that... _Cedar_?"  
  
The mercenary snorted and reached under to grab the Hunter's shirt, hauling him out. " _Yes_ , that was Cedar. And don't be trying to kill him again. He's my best friend."  
  
Axl gaped at him. "But I-"  
  
"Missed his core by the barest fraction. Listen, don't _ever_ come here again. Go back to the Hunters, and you tell Lifesaver he's gonna be a dead mech when I tell Sig about this stunt."  
  
"Okay. But...why would he send me here in the first place?"  
  
"...long story, bro."  
  
The young Hunter blinked. "Wait...'bro'?"  
  
" ** _Go_** , dammit, before Cedar finds out I lied and comes back here!"  
  
Axl jumped at the mercenary's fierce tone, vanishing instantly in a teleport.  
  
Dynamo sighed heavily and rubbed his face with both hands. He needed to tell Blues about this.


	18. "Right now, I don't know if I want to kiss you or shove you off a bridge." "Can I pick?"

Cedar stared at the figure slumped on his bed, peripherally aware of Dynamo grinning expectantly at him. How on earth had the other mercenary manage to get it in here in the first place, let alone get it at all? And why did he feel oddly touched that Dynamo had gone to such effort for him?  
  
...he was likely better off not thinking too hard on that last one. Best not to encourage the idiot. Next time he might not stop at a poorly-done life-size voodoo doll of Red of Red Alert.  
  
"...right now, I don't know if I want to kiss you or shove you off a bridge."  
  
Dynamo's grin vanished, though his amusement was still obvious as he eyed the sniper. "Can I pick~?"


	19. "Where did you learn how to do that?"

Dynamo paced the perimeter of the dimly-lit training room, setting its dimensions firmly in mind. It wouldn't do to run into any of the walls in the process of what he was going to do; it'd only get him hurt, and he'd really rather not almost cut his head off again.  
  
Satisfied, he settled in the center of the room and drew his beam saber, calling a second from data storage and giving both the practiced flick that would activate their secret settings. He smiled as four blades of light flared in the near-darkness, curved in half-moons of pink brilliance.  
  
It had been a while since he'd used them like this, but he still remembered how.  
  
Starting slow, he spun the sabers to either side of him, eyes following the patterns he made in the air. Still spinning the blades, he lifted them above his head, and started to move himself, movements smooth and fluid in a dance he knew well.  
  
Bringing the blades together in front of him, he spun them in a cross pattern, feeling the heat as the curved edges passed within millimeters of his face. Sweeping them to either side in a graceful arc, he paused a moment, going completely still, body and mind in a meditative peace.  
  
He erupted back into action, movements faster, but still smooth and fluid, blades whirling as the attitude changed. In his mind's eye, he could see X...see Zero...replaying his many battles with them, picking out where he'd gone wrong. Where he'd underestimated this or misjudged that.  
  
He wouldn't make that mistake again.  
  
He'd beat them next time, now they'd proved worthy of the skill that had catapulted him to SA-Class.  
  
Grinning fiercely in feral anticipation, he spun, dipped, and twisted, body following the movement of the blades, fighting a battle he could see clearly in his mind. He threw himself into a reverse cartwheel, blades spinning perilously close to his face, evading an imaginary attack, before launching his own, picturing the two Hunters' shock, their confusion at the dazzling patterns of light he was weaving.  
  
On one turn, he spotted Cedar in the doorway, but he didn't let that distract him, playing out the mental battle until its end.  
  
Slowing to a stop, he gave the blades one last twirl before returning them to their normal configuration and deactivating them. Closing his eyes, he tilted his head forward, mouth curved in a rare contented smile, and just let himself be for a moment.  
  
His familiar cocky grin was back a beat later, eyes opening as he turned to the staring sniper. "Like what you see, Ced~?"  
  
Cedar opened his mouth, closed it, then finally found his voice enough to speak. "Where did you learn how to do that? That was....beautiful."  
  
Still grinning, Dynamo shrugged and stowed one of the deactivated weapons in data storage. "Something I picked up a long time ago. Haven't done it in a while."  
  
The sniper eyed him, the faint whirring of his eyes spinning and focusing almost too loud in the pre-dawn quiet. "...planning another rematch with X and Zero, are you?"  
  
"Mmmmmaybe~"  
  
"...may I watch?"  
  
"That depends. Do I get a kiss if I win~?"  
  
Cedar smirked. "Perhaps~"  
  
The other mercenary perked up. "Ooh, incentive to win, then."  
  
"Indeed~ You had best make a good show of it, hadn't you?"  
  
Dynamo looked down at the deactivated hilt still in his hand, and slowly smirked, eyes alight with eager anticipation. "Oh, I intend to," he purred. "I definitely intend to."


	20. "This is a bad idea." "Yeah." "A really bad idea." "Do you want to back out?" "What? No, I'm just saying that it's a bad idea, I didn't say that I disapprove."

"This is a bad idea," Cedar murmured.  
  
"Yeah," Dynamo murmured back with a grin.  
  
"...a really bad idea."  
  
The other mercenary glanced at him. "Do you want to back out?"  
  
"What? No, I'm just saying that it's a bad idea, I didn't say that I disapprove."  
  
Dynamo snickered, then hunkered down beside the sniper as they watched an unwitting Spider approach the target zone.  
  
They were gonna be _so_ dead when this was over, but this was gonna be so very worth it.


	21. Bonus Fic - End of the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _You escape, I'll stay,_   
>  _I'm so tired of running away._

" _I've never seen the sky like that..._  
 _I can't believe that it could do that..._  
 _I closed my eyes before the sun could set..._ "  
  
Dynamo grinned at his own morbid whimsy, eyes locked on the sky and the remains of the space colony on a collision course with the Earth. He'd found a good vantage point to watch the show, an ancient cliffside a safe distance from ground zero that had survived plenty of other catastrophes and was sure to survive this one as well. Even at this distance, he could hear the tortured rending of metal, like some great wounded beast's mortal shriek.  
  
He picked out the bright line of light that marked the Hunters' shuttle's path as it raced toward the falling colony in a desperate bid to prevent Armageddon.  
  
He saw the explosion of the shuttle's impact, minute at this distance, and the colony start breaking apart.  
  
For a brief moment, he feared he'd been cheated of his last chance to get back at old Doc Cain.  
  
But then he saw it wasn't enough. A good-sized chunk was still on a collision course, and Armageddon was still on the schedule.  
  
The world Doc Cain had created was still going to end.  
  
Grinning, he watched the crash, spectacular in its destruction, and he chuckled to himself.  
  
" _It's the end of the world as we know it,_  
 _And I feel fine..._ "  
  
His gaze followed the blast wave as it radiated from ground zero, sweeping across the landscape and decimating anything not strong enough to resist, rushing toward him.  
  
 _5..._  
  
 _4..._  
  
 _3..._  
  
 _2..._  
  
He stepped back, dropping into a sheltered crevice, arms lifting to cover his head and face as the blast wave swept through, followed by the loudest crack he'd ever heard in his life, momentarily deafening him.  
  
He didn't move, waiting, and soon he felt the rumbles and vibrations as the pyroclastic cloud reached the cliff, molten chunks of rock and boulders of crazy sizes pelting the area around his shelter.  
  
Eventually it all stopped, and still he waited.  
  
When he finally poked his head out to peer around, the silence struck him first. Total silence, of a completeness that was almost as deafening as the sonic boom.  
  
Hefting himself from the crevice, he walked to the cliff's edge, gazing at the devastation below. Fires burned everywhere in a moonscape of destruction, thick black smoke drifting up to blend with the dust-choked sky. Not a living soul to be seen. The once-great city that had stood where the colony had made impact was completely decimated, wiped clean like a sandcastle at the rising tide.  
  
" _Pack all your bags and lock all your doors behind,_  
 _Clear out the cities and pray for your little lives._  
 _You've all escaped, I've stayed._  
 _I'm so tired of running away..._ "  
  
...he wasn't going to find anything worthwhile here, at ground zero. Nothing but death, and the threat of the Virus the colony had carried, and he wasn't interested in risking either of those.  
  
Turning, he loped away under roiling skies, and a night that was never going to end.  
  
He still had a job to do.  


* * *

It was three days before Dynamo found any sign of life. At least, his internal chronometer had said it was three days. The sky was still choked night-dark, not a speck of light in the sky to tell the difference between night and day.  
  
He'd wandered during that time, drifting through the charred, twisted remains of various cities, broken skyscrapers clawing at the sky like skeletal fingers. It hadn't been aimless drifting, however, his stride purposeful and methodical. And he'd left his mark here and there, using the old shorthand he still remembered, marking the locations of the dead for pickup, when relief efforts finally reached this far.  
  
He was almost surprised when he ran into the first group of Hunters, and he hesitated, watching them.  
  
It quickly became obvious it was just a bunch of rookies, out of their depth and scared out of their wits, with no commanding officer to guide them.  
  
The Hunters must have been hit hard by the Virus seeded across the planet, if there weren't enough senior Hunters left for all the survey teams.  
  
...what the hell. It wasn't like any of them would recognize him.  
  
Striding forward, he took command of the situation, easily slipping into the role he hadn't filled in over a decade. The rookies' relief at the sudden appearance of an experienced officer, even one they didn't recognize, was almost embarrassing, but he brushed it off.  
  
The familiar routine of leading a Hunter Unit settled in, and he was surprised how good it felt. How much he'd missed it.  
  
He remembered the camaraderie of the old days, echoed by the present as the skittish rookies finally started bucking up. Their morale finally improving, despite the eternal darkness and the increasing electrical storms as the planet's weather spiraled out of control.  
  
Especially when they started finding survivors.  
  
That had been a relief to Dynamo, though he didn't let on why.  
  
And soon, reports started filtering in from other areas, and Dynamo had listened, waiting for a particular bit of news.  
  
Finally, he heard what he was waiting for.  
  
Zero was dead- the reports weren't clear on the how- but X...X was still alive.  
  
Sigma had failed in his grand, mad scheme to 'awaken' Zero, to get Zero to kill X. All the plotting, the fighting, the baiting, the Virus-seeding, the sabotage, the colony crashing, the world virtually ending...and Sigma had _failed_.  
  
X was still alive.  
  
Dynamo was hard-pressed not to roar his laughter at the delightful, _wonderful_ irony.  


* * *

Dynamo slipped away in the cover of darkness when they started encountering more Hunters on relief efforts. He still hadn't been recognized, but with each group they encountered, the threat of someone finally recognizing him increased.  
  
And he wasn't about to stick around for that to happen. Not yet.  
  
So he drifted, eventually coming across another isolated group of Hunter rookies with no commanding officer to oversee them. Again, he took the lead, guiding their efforts, until the danger of recognition told him it was time to move on again.  
  
That was the routine for the following weeks, until new rumors started popping up that piqued his interest.  
  
Nightmare Souls. Something new that was popping up, more and more frequently, somehow connected to Zero. Intangible glowing things, of a sort, that could still be collected. Still be held in the hands.  
  
And the rumors claimed they granted power, to any Reploid that possessed them. Increased strength, speed, endurance... _everything_.  
  
A Reploid with enough Nightmare Souls could be nigh invincible.  
  
The temptation was too great, and Dynamo, still burning over the battles fought and lost against X and Zero, didn't bother to resist.  
  
He didn't stop giving his assistance to the relief efforts, oh no. That would be suicide at this point, and whatever judicial systems were left when the world dragged itself back up by its own bootstraps would eat him alive.  
  
And he didn't want to disappoint the one human whose opinion still mattered to him.  
  
He wondered if Token was even still alive. Humans did have such depressingly short lives, after all; most died well before they reached a century, even with the artificial means they had of extending their lives.  
  
...nah, Token had to still be alive. He'd been a Hunter, and humans who made it into the Irregular Hunters were blessed- or cursed- with insanely long lives. For humans, anyway.  
  
Dynamo's not-so-private theory was all humans who made it into the Hunters were some kind of freaky mutants. A theory the rest of his Unit had shared, and Token had made no effort to deny.  
  
Hey, maybe he should put a bug in the ears of the next group of Hunters he came across! Get the word out that someone was looking for Token, and wait to see what the rumor mill kicked back.  
  
And that's exactly what he did, casually asking the status of the human Hunters, if any were still topside, or if they'd joined the rest of the humans underground.  
  
The answer wasn't long in coming. The human Hunters were indeed still topside, despite the health threats from the pollution and the Irregulars running rampant. And _of course_ , Paul 'Token' Banks was leading them.  
  
He wasn't surprised that that was what blew his cover. That what got him recognized was a message passed along from Token that consisted of one word- "Asshole."  
  
He'd laughed then, and continued lending aid where he could, making no effort to hide his identity now word was getting around about his presence.  


* * *

Apparently word had gotten back to X, too, because one day- or was it one night?- the blue Hunter turned up while Dynamo was helping his current group of rookies tend to a small family of survivors.  
  
X hadn't said a word at first, simply observed the scene for a moment, before moving in to assist.  
  
Dynamo knew it was coming, but at least X waited until they were alone before confronting him. Well, as confrontational as X ever got, when he wasn't being needled into a rage.  
  
"You're remarkably good at handling the rookies," the blue Hunter murmured, clearly uncertain how to handle Dynamo outside of battle.  
  
Dynamo shrugged it off with a grin. "What can I say? It's a talent~" His grin faltered when he was offered an E-tank, and he hesitated briefly before gratefully accepting it. Rations had been rather thin, with no solar power to boost lagging energy reserves. More often than not, he'd discreetly passed his share to whichever rookie seemed to need it the most.  
  
X waited while the mercenary consumed the energy before speaking again. "I've been hearing a lot of reports over the years. Rumors were flying that some mysterious Reploid who acted like a Hunter officer kept turning up to help the rookies, before disappearing again. All the descriptions matched you."  
  
Dynamo blinked, distracted from making a snarky reply by one little detail. "It's been years already?"  
  
Damn, where had the time gone?  
  
One corner of X's mouth quirked up, the blue Hunter seeing the indirect admission for what it was. "We could really use all the experienced Hunters we can get right now."  
  
The mercenary immediately rejected that idea. "Nope, nuh-uh, no way, not a chance in Dr. Light's porn collection!"  
  
X smiled ruefully. "Token said you'd say exactly that."  
  
"Well, you should have listened to him! He's smart, for a crazy human."  
  
The Hunter chuckled quietly and shook his head. "Keep doing what you're doing, then. I'll make sure the way's cleared for you, so you don't run into any trouble if you encounter any of the senior  
Hunters."  
  
Dynamo grinned and saluted. "How kind of you~"  
  
X smiled wryly and, shaking his head again, turned to leave.  
  
Dynamo watched him go, smiling faintly, before turning to rejoin the rookies, whistling cheerfully as a weak shaft of sunlight finally penetrated the clouds overhead.  
  
" _I can't wait to see_  
 _What this world holds for me._  
 _Oh, it's a new day..._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs Dynamo sings are-
> 
> "Crashing Down" by Eagle-Eye Cherry  
> "It's the End of the World As We Know It" by R.E.M.  
> "End of the World" by Armor For Sleep  
> "It's a New Day" by Jennifer Cihi


End file.
